Using objects when trying to solve problems may help to find new ways of finding a solution, researchers report.

Have you ever tried to solve a complicated maths problem by using your hands, or shaped a piece of clay without planning it out in your head first? Understanding how we think and make decisions by interacting with the world around us could help businesses find new ways of improving productivity – and even improve people’s chances of getting a job, according to experts from Kingston University.

Playfulness is at the root of creativity. So why on earth have we created a corporate system where everyone feels the need to be so serious?

I see time and again that injecting a sense of fun into work situations gives everyone permission to be more authentic and to take risks. Out of that comes greater innovation, more collaboration and richer learning....

The digital economy is rapidly growing. At the core of this ‘new’ economy is digital business, its practices, business models and engagement with consumers. But what is digital business? Using LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY® we asked nine members of the Centre for Digital Business to describe what they mean when they discuss digital business.

One of the key clever things about LEGO Serious Play is that throughexternalising feelings and knowledge – by building them in LEGO – then everyone in a group gets a voice, because everybody builds and everybody talks about what they have built; and then also you get the opportunity – because you can literally see it, touch it and change it – to review everyone’s perceptions, and collaborate to make them fit together in a coherent and meaningful way.

“Everybody has a unique perspective of everything,” said Robert Rasmussen, owner and chief facilitator of Denmark-based Rasmussen Consulting. “The more you can get that out, the better the solutions, the better the decisions you ultimately make.”

Just as LEGO bricks can be used to build a representation of virtually anything, the LSP method can be applied to any company objective, whether it’s solving a media crisis or brainstorming ways to transform your current business model.

In Shanghai one company (Constructive.xyz) is focusing on bringing more fun into the workplace courtesy of Lego. It’s a strategy we all could learn from, says WGSN Associate Editor for China, Sandy Chu